Whitefield Academy Ecuador Mission Team

Day 4 (June 13): Gifts, Mountains, and a Tournament

Today started out rainy, misty, and cold—unusual in my experience here, especially since it’s technically the dry season right now (the summer). The sun came out and some of the clouds cleared towards the end of our construction work, which enabled us to have an incredible view of the city.

Today I saw how God is allowing us to exercise our specific gifts to help Amor y Esperanza. I was able to work in the office all day writing some website content for Pancho and Pity’s new business venture: they are working to start a healthy foods business that will help local farmers and provide funds for the school. I also edited a powerpoint presentation that they want to send to churches in the States. They want to create a short promotional video to show to churches as well, and Bailey has volunteered to use her camera and video skills to film it this week. Once Chase heard about that, he volunteered to help edit the video! So many specific gifts are being used! 

There were two men visiting the school from a volunteer organization called Teacher to Teacher, which brings educators from the States to other countries to observe the teaching techniques in other cultures, and to be immersed in another culture for a short period of time over the summer. They offer advice to the teachers they meet and work with, and workshop different teaching techniques in them. They worked with three teachers from Amor y Esperanza this week. It was really interesting to talk with them, to see how other people outside of our group are sharing their gifts and helping the school. While I sat in the office writing, I saw so many photos of other mission teams that come to serve at the school. We are a part of a big family.

But the most amazing and exciting thing that happened today was accomplished through Susan’s gift: she is a physical therapist for children, and there is a student at the school who needed her. 

Susan will tell Abel’s story:  “Abel is a five year old student in the “primero grado” which is similar to our kindergarten in the States.  He came to Amor y Esperanza at the beginning of this school year with his mom and his brother, hoping beyond hope to be allowed to attend the school because no other school would take him.  He has an infectious smile, a persistent spirit, and a great sense of humor — at least, that is the child I experienced today upon meeting him.  Pancho tells me that before school started, he was sad, even despondent.  Abel also has legs that don’t work right; he has cerebral palsy.  He cannot walk on his own.  He has never taken independent steps before.  He has attempted to use a walker that he keeps in the classroom, but has always needed help to use it.  Today, I was able to give Abel (love the name!) a new walker (actually a gait trainer) that one of my patients in the States no longer needed. After a couple of tweaks, he walked across the room to Annie and gave her a high five.  Turning to Pity, he said (in Spanish), “she congratulated me!”  His joy was radiant.  He took his “grand coche” (big car) to his classroom where he was able to walk by himself across the classroom and play with his classmates.  All of his classmates chanted his name excitedly as he walked around the room. The Lord has much more in store for Abel.  It will be exciting to see him grow with the family of Amor y Esperanza.”

Our construction work is coming along splendidly. Everyone is enthusiastic, hardworking, and complaining is at an all-time low (basically non-existent). We unloaded 800 bricks today and got to see our walls grow taller and taller. After we finished, we went up to the second story of the building to take in the incredible view of the city crawling up the mountains and snow-capped volcanoes that surround Quito. We could see the airport far below us, and watched one blue and one white airplane take off and fly away out of the valley. We took a few minutes to take in the view in silence and then came together to pray and sing, to praise God for his stunning creation. Looking at those mountains and that sprawling city can either make you feel very small or as if you had become swallowed up by it, that you had become a part of it.

After dinner we had a short time of prayer and praise where we shared what we are thankful for, and then got to sing some silly songs with hand motions followed by a tournament. The tournament was a series of games in which each family group (Llamas, Jaguars, Squirrel Monkeys, and Tortugas) played against the other for points. Our first challenge was to come up with a team chant. Then we had a game where we had to balance a tomato between two people’s faces and walk across the gym without dropping it; a game in which one person acted as the shoulder angel and guided their blindfolded teammate across the gym and back, while another team’s member acted as the shoulder devil and tried to confuse the blindfolded person. Annie had a rough go of it, for she confidently ran straight into a table, not listening to anything her angel Jolie said! (She’s not hurt.) The tournament culminated in a soccer tournament (first team to score wins). The two winning teams, the Jaguars and the Tortugas faced off at the end in a match that included a fierce battle of brothers (Danny Sola and William for the Jaguars against Mateo Sola and Stephen for the Tortugas). Keep in mind this was an older brother team versus younger brother team. And the younger brothers came our victorious! I’m proud to say that my team, the Tortugas, won the soccer tournament and the whole game tournament. 

We laughed a lot tonight, and it was good for the soul. 

Cheers, peace, and grace to you all, 

Alice